What to pack for a five year old?

[1stTimeDisneyer]

Hello everyone,
We are planning a trip in November with another family. They have older kids so I am sure they know what to pack for them. However, we do not have children but we are taking our five year old niece. I am not sure of what kind of things to pack for her. I am going to pick up children's pain reliever and benadryl, but what else do I need?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jessp1021]

A security blanket/toy..something to occupy her on the trip (crayons, coloring books, books to read, etc.) 2 outfits per day AT LEAST! I am a stickler for being able to change for dinner or an evening at the park, DD did so good last time with a bath before napping and got up to a clean outfit..I also packed 2-4 extra outfits bc accidents do happen and it is better to be prepared! Bandaids are also a must (they are $4ish at the resorts!!) as well as neosporin. A misting water bottle, 2-3 pairs of comfortable shoes (I would bring water shoes or flip flops for the pool time if you are going), hair ties/bows/headbands (anything to keep her hair out of her face is always a good thing in the Fl humidity and heat!), SUNSCREEN! A hat if she is used to wearing one out in the sun? I hope some of these are helpful..I tend to pack 2-3 weeks out to make sure I have everything down before the last night, have fun on your trip!

 

[miami305]

I pack light. A few extra shirts instead of a ton of extra clothes. Include a FEW toys for her. You don't want toys getting lost or left behind at Disney. Color Wonder by Crayola is great IF she enjoys coloring. Not all children do. My girls liked those tiny Disney Princess dolls that you see at Walmart.

Be sure to ask about her food preferences and normal bed time. My children didn't nap at age 5, but some kids this age still need the extra rest. You don't want to push her to meltdown phase and have her crying because their is ketchup on her hotdog and she likes her hotdogs plain. KWIM?

My golden rule for kids is feed them. Don't stuff them like little pigs, but a granola bar or fruit chews or popcorn helps break up the monotony of long days. If a child is still cranky after a snack, then it it is time to call it quits and go get some rest.

I'm sure you're niece will have a wonderful time.

p.s. Establish a Princess viewing plan. A 5yr old can't quite comprehend why she shouldn't stop and meet every last character. Set some guidelines so she isn't crying because you aren't waiting 2hrs to see Meridia.

 

[Hannathy]

Do you mean for the parks or in general?

5 is a great age to take them. They need nothing for the parks you don't need.

I'm sure the parents will pack for them for the trip. Don't bring any extra toys other than a couple things for the plane or car, they won't have time for them anyway and you have to keep track of them and bring them back. They will probably get a souvenir or two and need room to bring those back.

But 5 is great you just treat them as you do you so what ever you bring to the park is fine for them or don't bring to the park, they need nothing special at this age.

 

[MissChris]

Since this is your niece I assume her parents will be packing her clothes and things, right? Are you wondering what sorts of things you'll want to have on hand while traveling or on park days?

I have few things in my bag or purse all the time for my 6 and 2 year old:

A quick snack, this is the most important thing because kids can become ravenously hungry in an instant and a hungry kid is a grouchy kid. I bring a granola bar or fruit leather or a bag of nuts, or goldfish crackers, mints, something quick and easy that I can just carry around all day and then pull out when we need it. I carry multiple snacks, you never know... Depending on the kind of bag I'm carrying I might also have a small bottle of water with me, that would be a must for Disneyworld.

A small notebook and a pen or some crayons, this is unbelievably useful to pass the time in lines or while waiting for a meal. She can draw, you can play tic tac toe, there are all kinds of possibilities.

Band-aids. Even if there's no blood, a band aid makes everyone feel better. Especially a My Little Pony band-aid, it's like magic

Tissues, napkins or wet wipes.

Sunscreen.

Fanny Pack? On our last trip our daughter had just turned 6 and we got her her own fanny pack. I ordered one with Tinkerbell on it off of Amazon and stocked it with some of the things I normally carry like snacks and a notebook. She also got a small, inexpensive camera for her birthday so she carried that too. It was great! It might be a fun vacation surprise for your niece, then she has control of it if she gets hungry or bored.

Patience. She's still young enough to need to drift a little through the parks, go slow, sit in the shade and eat a Mickey bar, look for hidden Mickeys take breaks, splash around in the water play areas and smell the roses.

It's a lot of fun to take in Disney with a kid, especially for the first time. You'll probably see and do a lot of stuff you've never even paid attention to before. It'll be great.

 

[1stTimeDisneyer]

Thank you all so much for the information. We are packing everything for her since this is a surprise trip. I have most of her clothes purchased and put away already. We had major sales on Disney clothes dodo we stocked her up. Do we need to get children's medicine beside benedryl and tylenol? I know that sounds weird not to know but we only have dogs not kids.

 

[Hannathy]

Ask her Mom but I would say no.

You will love taking her. I took my nephew several times before I had my kids (after to!)

Really 5 is a great age, they are old enough to not need anything special like babies. And they can take care of themselves as far as dressing and eating and bathrooming!

Do make sure you pack whatever she sleeps with if she has something.

My other hint would be don't over do the calling home. If Mom is nervous you can call her more often but don't keep having your niece call her because it may plant a seed of missing her where one wasn't. She will be so busy having fun that she won't have time to dwell on missing home unless she is constantly reminded.
And don't do it right before bed! Call when she is in the middle of having fun. Or first thing in the morning

 

[jessp1021]

I think that is all you would need medicine wise.

 

[dixonsontour]

A dress up outfit? Alot of little girls like to wear princess dresses in the park and November would be a good time to do this weatherwise.

 

[DopeyDame]

Talk to her parents before bringing Benedryl - if she hasn't had it before, you probably don't want to be the one to give it to her for the first time. Kids often react pretty quickly to it, by either getting sleepy or getting super-hyper. You want to be prepared for whichever reaction your neice has.

I would add neosprin to the medicine list, but other than that, nothing much! As others have said, by 5 they really don't need anything other than normal travel stuff.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would have a long talk with her parents to truly understand what she may need.

Medicine wise- tylenol for sure. We also take a child's cough medication but you need to know which one and the dose for sure. Be sure you are aware of any medical issues; allergies, bathroom issues etc.

Sunscreen- Again..I would ask her parents what she has used in the past. Many kids do not like the spray kind. Choose a broad spectrum TEAR FREE, of at least 30 factor.

Bathroom products- Choose soaps, shampoos etc that she has used before to avoid issues. TEAR FREE.

Items to fix her hair in the coolest style

Clothes Wise- We do not over pack (we have a 5 year old too)..A few extra shirts maybe....a few extra pairs or underwear, TWO pairs of well worn in shoes.

Maybe a kid's size poncho or rain coats (DS hates the poncho- we take him a rain coat)

Healthy and junk snacks and some simple foods for the room that could make a late nite supper if she does not eat her dinner one night.

We take toys....Not a lot but some well chosen open end toys. We like and need some down time in the room and we try to limit TV so this gives DS something to play with ALONE while we chill out a little.


I recommend a note from parents giving you permission to treat for any medical needs. There is always question as to whether it is needed or even helpful but from personal experience I have learned it can not hurt to have it.

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

As the PP said a note for any medical needs, you never know. My DD6 still has her nightly milk in a "particular" cup. She will drink it out of any cup but it just puts that special smile on her face when she sees that it came to Disney with us . Rain ponchos, cheaper here than Disney. Special/favorites snacks that will hold her over until next meal time. All the other PP pretty much covered it all.

 

[Missy13d69]

You might want to think about taking some kind of cold and flu medication. Benadryl is for allergies, and having something in case she comes down with the sniffles, might be a good idea. Oh, and some Pepto. Tummy aches are the worst...

 

[laughinplace199]

Talk to her parents before bringing Benedryl - if she hasn't had it before, you probably don't want to be the one to give it to her for the first time. Kids often react pretty quickly to it, by either getting sleepy or getting super-hyper. You want to be prepared for whichever reaction your neice has.

I would add neosprin to the medicine list, but other than that, nothing much! As others have said, by 5 they really don't need anything other than normal travel stuff.

I agree about talking to her parents regarding medications. Benadryl doesn't affect my older DS at all, but it puts my DD to sleep almost immediately. Also, there are no dosage instructions for a 5 yr old on the Benadryl box. For kids under 6, it says to consult a dr. Her parents may know what her correct dose would be.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

if traveling by car, you may want to pack colored pencils or marker instead of crayons. one almost always get lost and can melt in car. every hard to remove from car and clothes. also bring a few throw away, single use cameras for her use. bandaids are a must for the younger set. as pp have said go with what her parents say about meds. also note from parents premitting med treatment if needed.

 

[At World's End]

I would bring some glow sticks/glow necklaces, etc. My kids love them, and they are so expensive at the parks. Get them at the dollar store. Other items that are cheaper to buy before you get there: toy tiaras, Disney stickers, notebooks, etc. All kinds of Disney stuff is available at Target, Michaels, Dollar Tree. Buy a few things in advance and surprise her with them on the trip.

I would also bring a stroller, along with something to help you identify it in a crowd of strollers. We tie a bright colored bandana to the handle. All that walking will be hard on a five year old. Having a stroller will help keep her energy level up, and also provide a safe place for her as you travel through crowds. I would also bring something to help CMs locate you if she gets seperated from you. There are tons of ideas out there, but basically something she wears that has your cell phone number on it.

 

[Hannathy]

I would also bring a stroller, .

I would never bring a stroller for a 5 yr old, plus she will not expect to use one so why give her the option. Plus most 5 yr olds don't have a stroller and I certainly wouldn't be telling an Aunt to go buy a stroller. She will be fine with out it.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

As for meds...ask the parents what they would normally bring on a trip like this. If it were me- I pack children's tylenol and children's motrin. Whenever my kids have had high fevers, the dr has us alternate between the two every few hours and the motrin seems to be the knock out punch for the fever. I do pack children's benedryl, but it's b/c my kids have food allergies and insect bite/sting allergies. I usually bring children's claritin for actual allergies. I tend to also bring a small first aid kit with everything from neosporin and peroxide wipes to a variety of bandaid types and sizes. Some kind of wet wipes and hand sanitizer are also very nice to have handy. Oh, and if you bring Pepto...make sure it's the children's variety as the adult variety could be deadly.

Obviously, b/c of the insect part I bring bug spray but I also bring sunscreen. My kids are very fare and a sunburn is pretty much a trip killer. I also like hats for them since that also helps with the sun...even in Nov.

If her hair is longer or has any kind of wave or curl to it...you may want hair bands and any products they use to manage it. I have one with long curly hair so this is a big must for us.

Security blankets and stuffed animals are nice for bed time. We also like to bring glow jewelry, etc. I usually buy from a wholesaler so I can get glow sticks, led necklaces, and other led goodies like flashing rings for a low price. It keeps the kids from begging for all of the higher priced glow items they sell in the parks at night.

The stroller suggestion is really going to depend on the child. I know people with 5 year olds who have been fine and others who have either had to rent on the spot or kill their backs and shoulders carrying the child once the extreme exhaustion sets in. We had two separate friends w/5 year olds go back in Dec...one was fine and one was so exhausted that they had to carry her...which was not kind to their bodies. My 5 year old is tiny and tends to need a nap when we do WDW just b/c it's so much activity and stimulation...so it would be a disaster if we didn't make stroller provisions for her. I certainly wouldn't go out and buy a stroller, but you might ask her mom how she'd do with long days of walking. They might even have something lightweight you can bring along if they feel she might need it.

My girls do like dressing up like princesses on some of their days...so any kind of princess gear could make it fun for her. Even if we don't do BBB...I still usually bring things like tiara combs and fine grade glitter so they have pixie dust to go with it all. I also bring smocks since they're messy eaters and I'd rather use a lightweight smock and stuff it in a bag than bring lots of changes of clothes into the parks or have them walk around all day with food stains on their clothes.

From a safety perspective...we use safetytats, but DD5 also wears a medical alert bracelet as well. Either way- good stuff in case they wander off.

My girls also have moments when they can be scared of the dark, so I usually try to throw in a small night light- just in case. I guess just also ask the mom if there are any other little things that might make her comfortable during your stay.

 

[BobbyRach]

I would never bring a stroller for a 5 yr old, plus she will not expect to use one so why give her the option. Plus most 5 yr olds don't have a stroller and I certainly wouldn't be telling an Aunt to go buy a stroller. She will be fine with out it.

I am taking my 5 year old nephew to Disney and the first thing i did is rent a stroller for him!!

Normal day to day walking that 5 year old's do is very different to the amount of walking they do at Disney. They are on vacation and everyone wants to enjoy it so why drag a small child around that is tried when you can easily rent a stroller????

I have researched this topic and it is very normal to have a 5 year old in a stroller at Disney it is comments like this that make others second guess it. Do what is best for the child and don't worry about any negative comments...

 

[maggs1035]

I am taking my 5 year old nephew to Disney and the first thing i did is rent a stroller for him!!

Normal day to day walking that 5 year old's do is very different to the amount of walking they do at Disney. They are on vacation and everyone wants to enjoy it so why drag a small child around that is tried when you can easily rent a stroller????

I have researched this topic and it is very normal to have a 5 year old in a stroller at Disney it is comments like this that make others second guess it. Do what is best for the child and don't worry about any negative comments...

We are going in May 2013 and our son will be 6 and we are taking our stroller!
1: We think that he will get tired and want to sit, and maybe nap.
2: We don't want to carry our own stuff, lol! We realize that this is the last time that we will bring the stroller (will be our 4th trip with him) and we will have to suck it up and carry stuff next time! We are very used to what it takes to drag a stroller along (we always rent a car, but still have to fold it up for trams, etc) so it's no big deal for us!